Your desire to believe Posner's book that LHO was the lone assassin is compelling, and the facts you cite are interesting. However, on further review, look at those citations you provided for Posner's book - they primarily cite the literary aspects of the book, NOT the factual evidence contained within. Writing literarily good books is what gets people published, but it doesn't make them right.
To buy into the lone assassin theory you have to, IMO, turn off every ounce of logic and instinct you have. This is one reason that the Warren Commission Report was debunked almost before the ink was dry. LHO was, at best, a patsy. He wasn't that bright and, IMO, given the period of time he was in the Marines, they made him a Rusian linguist because he wasn't good at anything else. In addition, almost everyone came out of Marine boot camp with an expert marksman medal, so that doesn't count, either.
What you need to focus on are two essential aspects: First, eliminate all the hype about assassination and politics and look at the crime as a straight murder. Who would gain what from JFK's death? Who had motive and who had opportunity?
When you evaluate it from that perspective, LHO had nothing to gain from his death. And he may have had opportunity, but he had no motive.
However, the biggest piece of the puzzle, IMO, is the Zapruder film, itself. Look at the frame sequence when the third bullet hits that takes off the BACK of his head. Any comparison between JFK's physical actions and physics tells you a couple of things:
1. His head snapped BACK when he as hit with the third bullet. It is not possible for a relaxed person's head to snap forward when they're hit from the front. Don't believe me? Have someone smack you hard on the forehead when you don't expect it - which way does your head go?
2. Bullets are known to cause larger exit wounds than entrance wounds. And the higher the caliber, the larger the exit wound. If the bullet was a hollow point, it, too, would cause a larger exit wound.
3. LHO was already behind and above JFK when he began to fire. The road in front of Dealey Plaza slopes downward at a fairly steep angle, so, IMO, it is possible that the first bullet could have traveled from about the middle of JFK's back and exit through his neck. In addition, LHO is known to have missed and one bullet ricocheted off the pavement. What if the bullet that ricochted was the one that hit him in the back (That's MY theory; it doesn't jive with other theories, btw)?
4. To believe that LHO was the lone assassin, you also have to buy into the "magic bullet" theory - a theory so fantastic as to defy the laws of physics and perform impossible feats.
Finally, I lived in Dallas when JFK was assassinated; I still have some of the newspapers from the time. If you think we didn't follow this story VERY closely, you don't know much about people. There was no other topic we discussed for months. And, with each new revelation, the assassination was re-hashed from beginning to end.
Posner's book has been debunked long ago. Yes, he may have included facts in his book, but facts can be malleable things. Just look at MM's Fareheit 911 - chock full of facts - and very selective, careful editing to create something that didn't happen; at least, not the way he presents it.
Last but not least, if LHO was the lone assassination, ask yourself this: What influence did he have on the President of the United States to get him to seal ALL of the documents for 70-plus years after the fact to make sure that everyone associated with the assassination and the government were dead before they were unsealed? And did LBJ have to gain by doing so? Especially after Jack Ruby was dispatched to kill LHO? Who benefitted from sealing all of the documents if LHO really was the lone assassination?
He wasn't a Russian linguist. He was an air traffic controller. In those days, one could get bonus points toward promotion by demonstrating knowledge of any foreign language.
What you need to focus on are two essential aspects: First, eliminate all the hype about assassination and politics and look at the crime as a straight murder. Who would gain what from JFK's death? Who had motive and who had opportunity?
This is only useful if one presupposes that the assassin is a rational actor, pursuing a rational goal.
Lee Harvey Oswald did not fit this description.
1. His head snapped BACK when he as hit with the third bullet. It is not possible for a relaxed person's head to snap forward when they're hit from the front. Don't believe me? Have someone smack you hard on the forehead when you don't expect it - which way does your head go?
Does that blow to the front of your head destroy large portions of your brain? All bets are off at that point.
2. Bullets are known to cause larger exit wounds than entrance wounds. And the higher the caliber, the larger the exit wound. If the bullet was a hollow point, it, too, would cause a larger exit wound.
Hydrostatic shock is known to cause very messy effects that do not follow the classic entry/exit wound paradigm. Hydrostatic shock comes into play with high-power ammunition and hitting a rigid body feature (such as the skull).
3. LHO was already behind and above JFK when he began to fire. The road in front of Dealey Plaza slopes downward at a fairly steep angle, so, IMO, it is possible that the first bullet could have traveled from about the middle of JFK's back and exit through his neck. In addition, LHO is known to have missed and one bullet ricocheted off the pavement. What if the bullet that ricochted was the one that hit him in the back (That's MY theory; it doesn't jive with other theories, btw)?
Congratulations, you have just made your own "magic bullet" theory. A wound from a ricochet looks very different from a direct impact--the ricocheting bullet will make an oblong entry wound, not a circular one.
4. To believe that LHO was the lone assassin, you also have to buy into the "magic bullet" theory - a theory so fantastic as to defy the laws of physics and perform impossible feats.
Every critique of the magic bullet theory relies on one hypothesis contrary to fact--the idea that Connaly was sitting at the same level as JFK and directly in front of him.
In actuality, Connaly was sitting on a jumpseat that was lower than the President's seat, and somewhat to the left. When you move Connaly's seat into the proper position, the path of the "magic bullet" becomes straight.
Last but not least, if LHO was the lone assassination, ask yourself this: What influence did he have on the President of the United States to get him to seal ALL of the documents for 70-plus years after the fact to make sure that everyone associated with the assassination and the government were dead before they were unsealed?
The government does this routinely to allow candor in deliberations. I've been part of acquisition review boards that are similarly sealed.
And did LBJ have to gain by doing so? Especially after Jack Ruby was dispatched to kill LHO?
Had Lee Harvey Oswald not gone back for a sweater, Jack Ruby would have gotten to the jail after Oswald was gone. So I guess Oswald was a co-conspirator in his own murder.
Who benefitted from sealing all of the documents if LHO really was the lone assassination?
I would first assume the JFK assassination industry. They're the only people who made one thin dime off of his death.